Kazakhstan Flag

Kazakhstan is a country located in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. It is the world's largest landlocked country and has a population of around 19 million people, with a low population density. The country is known for its oil and gas industry, which generates a significant portion of its GDP, as well as its vast mineral resources. Kazakhstan is a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The territory of Kazakhstan has a long history of habitation by nomadic groups and empires. The ancient Iranian nomadic Scythians and the Achaemenid Persian Empire both had a presence in the region, and the Kazakh Khanate was established in the 15th century. The territory was later absorbed by the Russian Empire, and in 1936, it was established as the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan became an independent country.

The government of Kazakhstan is a secular, unitary, constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage. However, human rights organizations have criticized the government for its authoritarianism, and the country's human rights situation is often described as poor. Despite this, Kazakhstan has a high Human Development Index ranking in the region. The country's capital is Astana, which was known as Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022. The largest city is Almaty, which was the capital until 1997. The country is home to a diverse population, with a majority of Sunni Muslims and a significant minority of Christians. The official language is Kazakh, but Russian is also widely spoken.